Member-only story
The Fear of True Self-Expression
How to use your voice in a world of trolls?
Freedom to speak doesn’t protect writers from the judgments of others. Though we have the right to lawfully speak without worry about harassment from the government, harassment from others seems much more difficult to avoid. Trolls on the internet, especially, have little accountability.
Over the years, I’ve written stories that would stir the pot. Some I published; most I did not. The concern about having “the world” seem to turn on me was too great, too much to risk. Instead, I kept these stories to myself (and sometimes a few trusted friends).
Yet that’s not the best way to go about writing, is it?
Toeing the line to stay in everyone’s favor (or at least out of their crosshairs) rarely pays off. People who go viral or build a significant audience take that risk head-on, and lose readers along the way. To succeed at writing is to brave criticism, whether constructive or not. And more often it’s not.
If success requires braving trolls and naysayers, then why is it so difficult? For me, it’s another symptom of being raised in an emotionally abusive household — once upon a time, that caution kept me safe.
Growing up as a stepchild, I was already the odd one out. Two brothers and two sisters…
